December and sub-zero temperatures are not what one would normally associate with pleasurable swimming weather.  However, at a recent working lunch, my bookkeeper Natalie informed us that she was swimming a marathon and was close to completing it.  And the rest of us were extremely … [Read More...] about An allergic dermatitis to swimming pools

The BBC news today reports that a library in Ealing has had to close temporarily due to bed bugs and this, worryingly, comes shortly after a widely reported outbreak of bed bugs in Paris in … [Read More...] about The bug in the bed that bites

Life is always full of surprises, I suppose that is the way it is supposed to be otherwise if everything went always as planned then there would be no innovation.   So it was with surprise that I read an article about house dust mites and vitiligo in the September edition of the British … [Read More...] about House dust mites and vitiligo

With the tumultuous year we have had looking after my father with his multiple admissions to hospital due to the progression of his cancer followed finally by his death a month ago, my own health has taken a bit of a battering.  I’ve now started to take up the rowing I did after all my kids were … [Read More...] about A new multi-cancer busting drug

At the time of writing, my sister and I are in the process of planning my father’s funeral.  We have decided for all donations either to go to my dad’s Buddhist monastery in Wembley in which he played an active part in his retired years or to go to Bowel Cancer UK.  This is because Bowel Cancer UK … [Read More...] about A vaccine for melanoma

Having just returned from a few days in the sun for a dermatology conference, one cannot deny the benefits of sun exposure, especially when one lives somewhere where drizzle is the norm.   We all know that the reason we have blue skies is because the sun’s rays scatter in the Earth’s … [Read More...] about The benefits of blue

Mankind has always been obsessed with eternal youth. In modern times, where we have social media, an ever increasing number of interventions to preserve youthful looks and people living longer than ever, the question as to whether looking younger reflects better health is more pertinent than … [Read More...] about Can looking younger than one’s age reflect better health?

I think if I had my time again, I would love to be a historian or an archaeologist or something like that.  I really love all things ancient, they show us how and why we have ended up the way we are now and in a way, teach us that we are all transient beings, no matter how great or inconspicuous our … [Read More...] about A bathtub diagnosis

More and more research is looking at the role nutrition plays in disease.  And it is fascinating stuff.  At the time of writing, I am looking after my 80-year old father who was discharged from a 3-day stay in ITU only 5 days ago and I can clearly see how important it is that he receives good … [Read More...] about Can your diet improve your eczema?

Virtually every lady of a certain age that I have been seeing in clinic in recent months has been on HRT.  And it’s great that supply issues have now, hopefully, been sorted and that GP’s do not need to perform any tests to confirm that an individual is approaching menopause.  Moreover, HRT can now … [Read More...] about Menstrual hygiene products and the skin

The use of laundry sanitisers increased massively during the Covid pandemic in the thought that SARS-CoV-2 virus might be brought home on clothing.  I know we definitely used it to wash my surgical scrubs, the garments that replaced my suits and dresses for work for a 2 year period.  We still use … [Read More...] about Laundry sanitisers and the skin

It looks like energy, who has it, who has the most and who can create it, is going to be one of the main sources of political strength for the years to come.  The war in Ukraine has shown us how dependency on another country lends to vulnerability and so we all are scrambling to ensure energy … [Read More...] about The side effects of wind turbines

I understand this is a somewhat contentious issue, especially on social media.  We already know that countries differ in their advice on sunscreen use; the USA advises sunscreen use throughout the year whereas the UK, EU and Australia advise on sunscreen use if the UV index is 3 or more, or if you … [Read More...] about Do we really need to wear sunscreen indoors?

Having had the pleasure of spending more time with my young folk over the summer months, it was quite revealing to me how pervasive social media is in their lives.  I think almost everyone I know (apart from my father!) uses social media to some degree but young people tend to use multiple platforms … [Read More...] about Are you Comfortable In your Skin?

At the time of writing, we are still on our family summer holiday.  With teenagers with acne-prone skin, this has led to problems with skin sensitivity to the sun due to concurrent retinoid use, mild sunburn 🥵(they no longer let me apply sunscreen on them or listen to my prompts to reapply 🙄 – I am … [Read More...] about Swimming and acne